The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-18
SOLD AS A VAGRANT.
A Lazy Kentuekian Dispo sed Of Ac-
cording to an Old Law.

Nothing hiss occurred in Bracken
County in years, writes an Augusta, KY,
correspondent OF the st. Louis Globe
Democrat, that has attracted more gen
eral attention, or excited more curios-
ity, than the sale of the white man,
Henry Dodson, which came of at noon
,o-day at the court house door at
BrooksyilIe. A large crowd was pre-
sent, and curious questions concerning
the sale were on every lip. The individ-
ual sold to-day is the second white man
sold in this county under the vagrancy
act within the recollection OF the Oldest
residents, the other having been Garrett
Davis, who was sold some thirty-hVe
years ago, to Reuben Smarr, ex sheriff,
Patrick Clayton, now living IN Brooks
vile, being the auctioneer.
Henry Dodson has for years been
| leading an idle, vagabond life, Thought
| is IN him to do better. He has wife
| and three children, who are inmates OF
the county lnhrmary, near this city,
where his youngest child recently died.
He has one son, who is half-witted. and
it Is said he often treated him most
cruelty. At the time of his arrest as q
vagrant Do6son was living with. his
family in howell, filthy as a pig-pen !,
near Foster, in this county. OK
| be was first arrested three weeks ago
and tried before A. ]. Mackley, police
judge of Foster, who sent him to Jail.
While lying in jail his lawyer appeared
before the county court, when be was
tried by jury before Judge George l..
| Bradford. After hearing all the evidence
q verdict was returned ordering his sale
The original act of ordering the sale oi
Migrants is. very old, but it was approved
March Is, 1885,
A notice of the sale has been posted
up in conspicuous places, both here and
at Brooksville, and reads:
sHERIFFs SALE.
By virtue of an order of sale made by the
| Bracken quarterly court, the 22d day of Feb
ruary, 1887, in the case OF the commonwealth
of Kentucky against Henry Dodspn, wherein
! 1t was adjudged that the said Henry Dodsor
be sold for space of twenty five days, ]
will sell the said Henry Dodson at the court
| house door, in the town of Brooksville, or
! Monday, March 2, 1887, at II O'Clock M, fo
cash in hand for space oftwenty-fVe days
| The sale will be made as the law directs il
such cases, and the requirements will b.
made known TO purchaser at time of sale.
DESCRIPTION:
Henry Dodson is white man, about 4
years old, stout built and able-bodied.
(Signed) w. II. IRWIN,
| Sheriff of Bracken County.
Feb. %, 1887.
| As the hour of the sale drew near .
great crowd gathered along the patti
leading from the jail to the court hous.
door, but Sheriff Irwin had no fficult.
in getting his man through to the placl
designated for the sale. All then be
came quiet, and the sale began, but con
trary to expectation there was no riva
bidding, so that Dodson was knock
off to Jailer Metcalfe for the sum of 81
Dodson made short speech, in whicl
he said that certain of the jury that con
victed him were really Migrants them
selves His assertion that he wante,
work was greeted with amusement. 81
was then delivered over to bis pur
chaser, who at once set him at liberty
There is great curiosity felt as to wha
] he will do. He left tow in the direc
ton of the intirmary, of which his fam
lily are inmates, as soon as he could es
cape the crowd. Considerable indigna
ton was manifested over his release
since Metcalfe gave no bond for his goo
behavior. But the feeling is that b.
will be roughly handled if he does no
behave and go to work.